Phonograph needle



N. H. HOLLAND PHONOGRAPH NEEDLE Filed July 2i, 1926 Patented May 29, 1928,

UNITED STATES 1,611,426 PATENT OFFICE.-

NEWMAN H. HOLLAND, OF INLONTCLAIR, NEW JJ'ERSIIEZY; CHARLOTTE my HOLLAND ADMINISTRATRIX OF SAID NEWM1%N H. HOLLAND, 'DECEASED.

PHONOGRAPH NEEDLE.

Application filed July 21,

The needles which are ordinarily used with phonographs come within two general classes-those which taper gradually and terminate in a point which is of the proper size for engagement in the groove of a sound record, and those which are tipped with a fine wire which is of uniform cross section and presents a point which is of the proper size regardless of the extent to which vWorn.

The tapering needles are quite inexpensive to manufacture, but are objectionable in that the points wear away rapidly in use and necessitate the employment of a new needle for each record played. The wire tipped 1 needles, while a little more expensive to manufacture, give much better results and can be used over and over again if the wires are sufliciently long and donot become bent.

Heretofore it has not been feasible" to ex- .20 tend the wire of a wire tipped needle more than a few thousandths of an inch beyond the end of the wire holder, as otherwise the wire would bend, and, when the wire is short enough to withstand bending, it cannot be 26 used many times before being-completely worn away.

The principal object of this invention 18 to provide a wire tipped needle having a relatively long wire which will not bend in ordinary usage.

Another ob ect of the invention is to provide an improved needle'of the character described which is capable of eliminating in large measurethe surface noises emanating from the record. Other objects and advantages will be evident to those skilled in the art upon a full understanding of the construction of the im-. proved needle. In order that the invention may be readily understood, one embodiment of the same, to-

gether with two slight modifications,'is herein illustrated and described, but it will be understood, of course, that the invention is susceptible of embodiment in various other forms coming equally within the comprehensive scope of the claims.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a side view of a phonograph needle constructedin accordance with the vinvention:

- Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section, taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; 1 -Fig. 3 is anend View of 'the needle;

1926. Serial No. 123,849.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig.2; '1

Fig. 5 is a side'view of the'needle as it would appear in use;

Fig. 6 is an end view of a slightly modified form of the needle; and

Fig. 7 is an end view of another slightly modified form.

The needle which is illustrated in Figs. 1 to'5 inclusive of the drawing consists, of a holder 10, a fine wire 11 which extends fromone end of the holder in axial alignment with the same, and a coating 12 of a material on the wire which is readily wearable with respect to the sound record with which the wire is adapted to coact. The holder 10,

is an elongated brass tube of circular cross section, and the Wire 11, whichis also of cir- A cular cross section, extends through the holder and is in fixed frictional engagement therein. .The coating12 is molded about the Wire 11 between the end of the holder and the tip of the wire, and may be of any readily wearable material which will afford sufficient reinforcement for the otherwise unsupported portion of the wire extending beyond the end of the holder. One suitable composition for the coating consists of beeswax, resin and graphite, in the proportions of 25% beeswax, 25% resin and 50% graphite.

The needle is used like any ordinar needle. The holder 10 is inserted within the needle-engaging socket 13 of a sound box 14, and is held .fixedly therein by means of 'a set screw '15. The point of the needle is placed upon the grooved portion of. the rotating rec 0rd, and immediately conforms to the groove in the record, .the coating 12 wearing away flush with the upper edge of the grooves in the record and leaving an extremely short portion 16 of the wire exposed for engagement within the groove. The lower end of the wire will wear away slowly in use, and, as it does so, the remaining portion of the wire continues to be supported by the coat- .ing 12, which coating wears away at a corresponding rate in a shifting plane located just above the point' of the wire,--as clearly shown inFig.5. 7

By the employment of the-coating 12, the

wire 11 is reinforced throughout practically the entire length thereof beyond the end of the holder 10, and theportion of the coating.

which comes-into contact with the grooved surface of the record acts to lubricate the latter and eliminate in large measure the surface noises which would otherwise emanate therefrom. a

In Figs. 6 and 7 are shown two slightly modified forms of the needle. They difier from the form shown in Figs. 1m 5' inclusive only in the respecttha-t in Fig. 6 the wire 17 is shown as of rectangular cross section, and in Fig. 7 the wire 18 is shown as of diamond-shape cross section. 'The purpose of shaping the wire in such fashion is to obtain an edge which is as narrow as possible in one direction, so that the point of the needle, will readily fit into the high frequency waves in the grooves of the record. Instead of being of rectangular or diamond shape,

the wire might be of oval, triangular, or other form. WVhen a wire is used which is other than of circular form, the holder'may ad vantageously be made flat at a pointon one side thereof in order to prevent the same from turning when engaged by the positioning screw of the sound box.

The particular shape of the holder for-the wire is immaterial, and the'holder need not be a separate member, but may be formed integral withvthe wire, the-wire in such case bein a reduced extension of the holder or sha portion.

I claim 1. A phonograph needle, comprising a holder, a fine wire secured to and extending from the holder for coaction with a sound record,'and a coating of a material on the wire which is readily wearable with re spect to the sound record.

2. A phonograph needle, comprising anelongated holder, a fine wire secured to, and extending from one end of the holderin axial al inement therewith for coaction with a sound record, and a coating of a material on the wire which is readily wearable with respect to the sound record.

3. A phonograph needle comprising a holder, a fine wire secured to and extending from the holder for coaction with a sound word, and a coating of a material on thewire which is readily wearable with respect to the sound record, said coating containing beeswax.

4. A phonograph"needle, comprising a holder, :1. fine wire secured to and extending from. the holder for coaction .with a sound record, and a coating of a'material on the wire which is readily wearable with respect to the sound record, said coating containing resin.

5. A phonograph needle, comprising a holder, a fine wire secured to and extending from the holder for coaction with a sound record, and a coating of a material on the wire which is readily wearable with respect to the sound record, said coating containing graphite.

6. A phonograph needle, comprising .a holder, a fine wire secured to and extending vfrom the holder for coaction with a sound record, and a coating of'a material on the wire which 1s readily wearable with respect to the sound record, said coating containing resin, and 50% graphite.

8. A phonograph needle, comprising, a shank which is provided at one end with a reduced extension for engagement within a record groove, and 'aheavy coating of'a material in intimate contact with the reduced extension, which material is readily wearable with respect to the record.

a 9. A phonograph needle, comprising a fine wire .for engagement within a record groove,

and a heavy coating of a reinforcing mate rial about the wire, which material is readily wearable with respect to the record.

- In testimony whereofI have hereunto subscribed my name.

" NEWMAN H. HOLLAND. 

